Putting game appliance



Aug. 30, 1932. J. H, BQYE 1,874,873

PUTTING'GAME APPLIAnc Filed oct'. 15, 195o Patented Aug. 30, 1932 UNITED yS'F-A TES` PATENT- Ao'fl-F-lcis:

.TAI-ES H. BOYE, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, LASSIGNORHTO JAMES H. BOYE'MANUFACTURING l COMPANY, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ACORPORATIONOF ILLINOIS,

PUTTING GAME CE "l Application mea october 15,1930.Y serial No. 488,865.

This invention relates to'aputting game appliance, and the invention has a two-fold object, first, to provide a device well adapted `for golf-putting practice, both indoors and outdoors, and second, to` provide a Adevice which provides the principal physical equipment for a competitive gainefor two or more players',serving to test the skill and accuracy of the players in making putting shots.` f Fur@- ther objects of the invention are to provide a device of the character above outlined so constructed that when a player makes an 'accurate shot,l putting the ball overthe hole or seat intended by the shot, he will not be penalized 'by a rebound of the ball out of its seat or hole so long as the force of his stroke has been approximately correct, and, further, so constructed as to prevent spinning and rolling of Ythe'ball on the edge `of the :hole when the ball strikes the latter'slightly eccentrically. Still another object of the invention Ahas been to provide an appliance of the nature indicated havinga pluralityl of 'ball holesor seats of differing play values andequipped with means so formed'and located relatively to -the holes'or'se'ats4 vas to both aid a ball approach tofa high value hole and opposeoverrunning of the ball from'a lower value hole into a higher value hole;

The device of the invention, its manner of use and capabilities, and its utility as 4both a practice device and a game device will all be understood and appreciatedby persons familiar with devices of thisclass fromA the following detailed description, taken in connection withthefaccompanying drawingl in `which I have illustrated one lsimple and practical embodiment of the whereinv Fig. 1 is a top plan view` of the device. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section on invention, and

'the line Q--Qrof Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a Vvertical transverse:sectionk `on the. line 3 3 of Fig.- l. e e

The appliance, "in the form herein shown,

lis a one piece or integral casting, comprisingk f1"- a horizontal plate A formed 'with an inclined front platform or. approach' B of the full width'of the plate,'a central leg C which, vwith 'the ibottoinedge ofthe lapproach B,con-

stitutesa stable support for the plate A, and

an upstanding guard wall D on the front edge of the plate, said wall vpreferably extending downtheopposite sides `of the plate and approach, 'and having Athe curved or rounded form shown.l v

In the plate A are-formed a 'group oflball seating holes. The numberV and arrange:-

\ ment of these holesmay be varied, within the purview 'of the invention, but they are preferably symmetricallyyV Vgrouped in 'transverse rows, with the 'holes of each row in staggered relation to the holes of an adjacent row. ,In

merals by `which theabove holes zare identi- `lied may also be taken as indicating thefrelative play values of the holes, it being observed that the 'Objectis to drive the ball as closely as I possible along 'the longitudinal center jline (indicated'by'the section line 2.-2) withvjust the rightforce to place it in hole v100, but if slightly over-shot, to` land it in hole 7 5; A

"slight variation is designed to land the ball vin 'either 'of the holes 50, a wider variationplaces ,the balls in either of the holes 25; while a poor shot may vlandthe balls in either ofthe [holes 10.` "To hold the ball in line of approach 'gto-a hole and prevent side movement thereof *under insufficient momentum of the ball, I

preferably form yshallow channels Ein 'the upper surface ofthe approach B and extendinginto theplate A, each of these channels .terminating at the front edge of ahole, and

Ves

" between the rear edge of hole 100 and the front edge ol. hole 'Z5 I may also form a similar channel E aimed 'to guide a ball rolling over the hole 100 into the hole 75.

So far as I am aware, game devices of this character have been formed with round holes or seats of somewhat less diameter than the diameter of the ball. periment that when the holes are thus made perfectly round, a ball which may be accurately driven into substantially exact register with a. hole will not come tov rest in the latter unless its momentum dies just as it reach-es the hole, but will strike the rearedge of the hole andbounce back out, of the latter; or, if the direction is slightly off to one side,

' the ball will strike one side edgeof the hole and spin or wabble around the latter, Jfrequently rolling off. One important object shown by the present invention has been to design a vform of ball seat that would reward an accurately directed shot on the part of the player by preventing this rebound or spin.- ning and I have found that this object maybe attained by making the holes of oval or ellipsoidal form with their major aXes of somewhat greater length than the diameter of the ball .and disposed parallel to the path of Ythe ball, and their minor axes of a length P 'slightly less 4than the diameter of `the ball. VAs a result of this, as the ball enters the hole and tends to drop, it is caughty at opposite sides by the side edges ofthe'hole, as'clearlyy i shown in Figs. l and 3, and, unless the Inomentum is toovgreat, is held in that position so that the advancing side of the ball does not strike and rebound from the rear end wall Y of the hole, nor does the. balltend to spin or Y wabble on theedge of the hole.v In other words, the ball, unless considerably over-shot,

readilyV comes to rest and lis heldin the hole. It', however, on reaching thelir'sthole 100, the momentum is suliicient to causeit to jump a over that hole, the' ball readily'rolls along the channel E and comes to rest in the neXt lower value hole 75.

In the preferred ormof theinventionI also provide on the top surface of theplate A ,a number of ridges or bunkers F andl Gr." The Vthe shot while the chief function of the'longer ridgesGr is to prevent a poor shot, over-running one of the lower value holes such as 25 and 10, from putting the'ball, by a rebound from the guard wall D or by a side wabble, into a Vhigher value hole. also, these ridges Gaid a good shot inilanding the ball in one of the higher value holes, such -as 100,75 and V50.

Manifesuythe device 'my be employed either indoors on a carpet or rug, orfoutdoors on a smooth lawn or putting green; and it I have found by eX-` To some extent,

is also obvious that the appliance may be used simply for putting practice, or as a game between two o r more players, that player making the highest score in a given number of shots, winning the game.

I claim:

l. A putting game appliance of the character described, v comprising a horizontal plate formed with an inclined approach on its front edge and a group of ball seating holes beyond said approach, said holes being of oval form with their major aXes of greater length than the diameter of the ball and parallel to ,the path of approach'olI the ball, and vtheir vminor axes otslightly less length than the dia-meter of the ball, whereby the ball,',on rolling into a hole,is suspended by engagement withv the opposed side edges of the hole.

2. A putting gamel appliance of .thel character described, comprising a horizontal plate formed with a curved upstanding guard wall on its rea-r edge, an inclined ape proach on its front edge, and a groupof' ball seating holes between said approach and guard wall, said holes being vofloval form with their majoraxesroi greater length vthan the diameter of the ball and parallel to the athyotx approach of the ball, and their minor aXes of slightly less length than the diameter of the ball. Y i

' i 8. A putting game'appliancev of the character described, comprisingr a horizontalv plate formed with an upstanding guard wall on its rear edge, an'inclined approach on its front edge, anda group'of ball seating holes between said approach and guard wall, said plate and its approach being formed with independent shallow. channels leadin into the front edges of said holes. i 4c. A putting game appliance of the character described, comprising( a horizontal plate formed with an inclined approach on its front edge,'and a groupof ball seating holes beyond saidi'approach having different play values, Vand ridges' on said plate flankingcertain of said holes and serving to Vbothaid a ball approach'to a highvalue hole ica and oppose overerunning ofthe ball from a lower value holeinto a higher value hole.

5.`A putting game appliance ofthecharl acter described, comprisingY a horizontal plate formedwith an upstanding guard wall on itsrear edge and an inclined approach on itsfrontedge, and a plurality of transverse S.

rows of ball seating holes between saidYV approach and guard wall,A said holes having different playvalues, and ridges on 'said plate lankingcertain of said holes and serving'to both aid a ball approach toa lhigh value hole and oppose over-runningrof the ballv from a lower value; hole V'initoahigher valueholep Y. l

6. A putting gameV appliance of thecharacter described, comprising a horizontal plate formed with a luralty of transverse rows of ball seating oles having different play values, a curved upstanding guard wall on its rear edge, and a rectangular inclined approach on its front edge formed with sha1- loW channels leading into the respective holes of said plate, and ridges on said plate flanking certain of said holes and serving to both aid a ball approach to a high value hole and oppose over-running of the bal] from a lower value hole into a higher value hole.

JAMES H. BOYE. 

